Chimney cleaner



March 27, 192 8.

1,663,604 J. MOEN CHIMNEY CLEANER 'Filed April 5, 1927 z'sneets-sheet 1 J. MOEN CHIMNEY CLEANER ljiled April 5. i927 March 2 2 Sheets-Shed 2 Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Joan MOEN, or ross'ron, MINNESOTA.

CHIMNEY Application filed A ril 5,

This invention relates to flue cleaners and chimney cleaners and the general object of the invention is to provide a chimney cleaner which may be readily inserted into the chimney from the top thereof orfreadily inserted intoa flue and then expanded as it is drawn in the opposite direction so as to clean out the chimney or flue.

Another object in this connection is to provide a flue cleaner of this character which will clean a chimney or flueof diflerent sizes within the range of adjustment ofthe appliance.

till a further objectis to provide a device of this character which will fit and operate within a square chimney or flue and to provide means whereby the devicemaybe contracted so as to'permit it to be withdrawn from the chimney in case it should strike an obstruction. 1

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figural is an elevation of my flue cleaner expanded. 4

Figure 2' is an elevation of the flue cleaner in the position shown in Figure 1 but looking at right angles thereto.

Figure 3 is a like view of Figure 2 showing the cleaner contracted.

Figure 4: is a fragmentary vertical sectional view with the cleaner expanded. a

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view with the cleaner expanded.

Referring to the drawings 10 designates a central shank or rod of metal havingan eye at its upper end and at its lower end is formed to provide an elongated eye 11. Pivoted in the lower end of this elongated eye 11 are the two arms 12, each terminating in nearly closed hooks or eyes 13 at their ends. These arms extend outward and upward and a coiled compression spring 14 is disposed through the eye 11 and engages these arms and acts to force them outward or intodivergent relation.

Mounted upon the arms are the four blades 15, these blades having serrated outer edge faces 16 and the blades are arranged in pairs, the blades of each pair being pivoted to each other at 17 and the opposite. ends of each pair of blades having apertures 18 through which the hooks or eyes '13 pass. Thus, it will be seen that each pair of blades is loosely connected at its ends to the opposed eyes 13 and that the blades are thus CLEANER.

1927. Serial No. 181,222.

held'in a more or less rectangular relation.

The construction is such as to permit the blades to be disposed nearly in the: same plane or with the pairs of blades disposed at an anglev to each other. Thebolts '17 which connect the ends of eachpair ofblades are formed with eyes 19.

Slidably mounted upon the rod or shank 10 is a sliding weight 20, this weight having an upstanding arm 21 which is pivotally engaged by means of a bolt 22 with a slide 23. This slide at its lower end is formed with an ear 24 through which the rod 10 loosely passes.

Gperating through the upper end of this slideis an eye-bolt 25 through which the rod 10 loosely passes, and above this eyebolt the slide is formed to provide a loop 26 to which an operating cord or wire may be connected. Pivoted upon the eye-bolt 25 are the upper endsof two'arms 27$ These. arms extend downward and outward'and are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the eyes of the eye-bolts 17. Aspring 28 is connected at its: ends to the arms 27 and acts to urge these arms outward or resist the arms being brought toward a' parall'el position. v

In the use of this device, the cleaner is loweredintoa chimney or flue by means of the rod 10 and a flexible connection supporting the same. The cleaning blades may be kept contracted by placing strain upon the cord or cable 29 which is attached to the loop 26, and when the cleaner has been lowered sufficiently into the flue-or chimney,

then strain is relaxed, whereupon the weight 20 will pull downward on the upper ends of the arms 27, causing the lower ends of the arms to move outward and expand the cleaner. The cleaner may now be drawn upward through the flue and the cleaning blades 15 will occupy positions in relation to each other to substantially form a rectangle and because of their flexible connection, will conform to the shape of the flue and will scrape the interiorof the flue orchimney. If by .an chance an obstruction should be reachedct at prevents the further upward movement of the cleaner, the cleaner may be lowered slightly and then strain placed upon the cord or connection 29 which will pull upward on the slide, thus causing the contraction of the blades to the position shown in Figure 3 Then the cleaner may be pulled past the obstruction and again allowed to expand.

The chief advantage of this device resides in the fact that it will fit a rectangular flue and that one cleaner may be used to clean chimneys having fiues of quite widely differing widths or cross sectional areas. Thus, the ordinary cleaner will clean a chimney having a flue of from 8 to 16 without any necessity of adjustment or change except what is provided for by the flexible connections of the blades to each other.

While I have illustrated the most effective form of my device, I do not wish to be lim ited to the details of construction and arrang'ement of parts illustrated as it is ob vious that many changes might be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims;

I claim I. A flue cleaning implement including a shank, a plurality of scrapers pivotally connected to each other to define an approximate rectangle when expanded, a slide on the shank, links pivotally connected to the slide and to the scrapers at two opposite corners of the rectangular figure defined thereby, and links connecting the remaining opposite corners of the figure defined by the scrapers and the lower end of the shank.

2. In a flue cleaner a shank, a slide mounted upon the shank and having a weight whereby the slide may be drawn downward, a connection from said slide whereby the slide may be drawn up the shank, a pair of links pivotally connected to the slide and extending downwardly and outwardly in divergent relation, a pair of links pivotally connected to the lower end of the shank and extending upward and outward in divergent relation and disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of the first named links, four scraping blades, each of the first named links pivotally connecting two of the scraping blades to each other, the second named links flexibly engaging the neeaeoa ends of each pair of scraping blades to the ends of the other pair of scraping blades.

3. A flue cleaner comprising a shank, a weighted slide mounted thereon, two links pivotally connected to the slide and diverging downward in opposite directions, two pairs of scraping blades, the adjacent ends of the blades of each pair being pivotally connected to the lower end of the corresponding link, two links pivotally connected to the lower end of the shank and disposed in a plane at right angles to the first named links and flexibly connected to the outer ends of the pairs of scraping blades, and means resiliently forcing the first and second,

named pairs of links into divergent relation whereby to expand the scraping blades into an approximately rectangular relation.

4. In a flue cleaner, a shank, four scraping blades flexibly engaged with each other whereby the blades may be shifted to form a rectangularly-shaped scraper or to assume a folded position, means on the shank supporting said blades, means on the shank connected to said blades adapted to move the blades to form said rectangularly-shaped scraper, and means connected with the last named means whereby the blades may be shifted into folded position.

5. A flue cleaner comprising a shank, a weighted slide mounted thereon, two links pivotally connected to the slide and diverging downward in opposite directions. pairs of scraping blades, the inner ends of each pair of scraping blades being pivotally connected to each other and to the lower ends of said links, links pivotally connected to the lower end of the shank and disposed in a plane at right angles to the first named links and normally diverging upward and at their outer ends pivotally connected to the outer ends of the pairs of scraping blades and pivotally connecting the outer ends of the scraping blades.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN MOEN. 

